Colin Hickey

(1919-1999)

Colin Hickey was born in Fairfield in 1919 and rose to become one of Australia’s foremost speed skaters, representing Australia at the 1952, 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics. Until 1976 Hickey was Australia’s most successful Winter Olympiad, finishing 7th in the 500 and 1500 metres in 1956.

Hickey trained in Norway where he worked as a lumberjack when not in training. He struggled to earn money to compete in the Olympic Games and did not receive any Government funding or assistance, a fact his father much lamented to the Northcote Leader in February 1956.

Hickey represented Australia at various World Championships, and in 1960 finished 3rd in the 500 metres. He is the only Australian to yet finish in the top three in that event.    

Northcote Leader 8 February 1956

Eaton, Mark.  Brief history of speed skating in Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.markeaton.net/sshistory.html